Grownups Need Recess, Too

Recently, in reading through the goals of participants in the Leaders Program, I noticed a number of goals of the form “reduce my stress,” “learn to control the stress I encounter day after day,“ ”reduce the hours I work to help control my stress,“ etc.  And, then I came across a piece, ”Grownups Need Recess, Too“, in Stew Friedman’s blog which made sense for today’s Tuesday Reading.  Friedman is a professor at the Wharton School and the author of the book ”Total Leadership.“

The thesis in “Grownups Need Recess, Too” is that we cannot afford to not take time out to restore and rejuvenate ourselves.  Friedman goes on to say that doing so increases performance since a ”rested“ you brings a stronger, more focused effort to your work.

In the piece he provides five tips to get us started:

1.  Start with a small recess.

2.  Make a list of the benefits your recess will have for others.

3.  Enroll someone you trust to provide support and accountability.

4.  After a few weeks, get feedback from people who matter to you to see if your recess is making a difference.

5.  Adjust your recess as you learn.

Friedman also provides several examples of what recess would look like.  Experiment, discover, and take recesses that work for you and reduce your stress.

.  .  .  .  .   jim